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I need a meatball and simple tomato sauce recipe ???

Hello .

sorry if this is a total noob question but I need an easy Italian meat ball and simple tomato sauce recipe ? I have tried several recipes but they either come out dry and hard or greasy and mushy depending on the recipe I use.

For the sauceI'm just looking for a very simple tomato sauce very light on the seasonings I'm not looking for something that is just drenched with oregano. I have access to good imported san Marzano Italian tomatoes and imported tutti tomato puree. using this to a sebaceous can you recommend anything? again I'm looking for something very simple for both the sauce and the meatballs.

The last couple times I made meatballs I use a cheater method. I buy pre-made spicy italian sausages and take the meat out of the casing and mix with ground beef. Roughy 1 lb ground beef to 6 sausages. I then add an egg, bread crumbs, parsley, sweated onions and garlic, red pepper flakes, ground pepper and salt. Brown the balls in same pan you did onions and garlic and set aside. I then add the tomatoes to the pan to deglaze, maybe throw in an anchovy. Put all the meatballs back in the sauce and put in oven til done.

1 onion or shallots small dice
Lots of pressed garlic your estimate
Lots of olive oil.
Fresh basil and thyme
Black pepper
I like to use veggie base in mine but salt if good ( add last because it may not need salt)

The trick to tomato sauce is cool for a long time! Once you cook out the acidity it will transform into something delicious.

So sweat onions in about 1/2-1 cup oil depending on batch size. Once soft add whole tomatoes on high heat, color tomatoes, add herbs and garlic cook out for 2 minutes, add all tomato product and bring to boil rapidly while stirring once there turn down to lowest and let simmer for at least and hour I prefer 2-3.

You just stir this often or it can burn. You just want to see bubbles here and there.

Check for salt and pepper and good to go. You can use only canned it works great fo. If you use whole tomatoes I like to blitz it with a hand blender.

You can adjust to your flavor, if it's too thick just add a little water( veggie stock or chicken stock )

Heat olive oil in pan and add onions and pinch of red pepper flakes cook until softened.
Add in desired amount of garlic and sautÚ for about 30s being careful not to burn.
Add tomatoes, milk, bullion and Parmesan rind, simmer on low partially uncovered for 45min. Stirring occasionally.
In the last 5 min pull out Parmesan rind and add in a TBS of butter, stir to combine then add in basil.

Meatballs: I can't give you exact measurements, I've made them for so long I just go by look. I really should write it down.

Add everything into a bowl Breaking up the milk soaked bread into crumbs as you add it to the bowl. Gently combine ingredients. Make a tester meatball to see if you need to adjust seasoning. It's 3lbs of meat so don't be too shy with the seasoning.

ETA: to keep the sauce ultra simple: olive oil, onions, red pepper flakes, garlic and basil as described above is the base recipe. I've added to it over the years

Lol ya. I save my Parmesan and Romano rinds and add them to soups. I just happened to be putting a big block of it through the food processor one day while making sauce and figured, why not. It kinda stuck lol.

Erilyn, That's my meatball recipe! including the milk soaked bread. I like to then roll the ball in flour spiked with dried beef seasoning and fry in pan, then add tomato sauce to that pan and cook until balls are 155 in the center. Then cool completely and refrigerate. Then reheat on stove.

Heat olive oil in pan and add onions and pinch of red pepper flakes cook until softened.
Add in desired amount of garlic and sautÚ for about 30s being careful not to burn.
Add tomatoes, milk, bullion and Parmesan rind, simmer on low partially uncovered for 45min. Stirring occasionally.
In the last 5 min pull out Parmesan rind and add in a TBS of butter, stir to combine then add in basil.

Meatballs: I can't give you exact measurements, I've made them for so long I just go by look. I really should write it down.

Add everything into a bowl Breaking up the milk soaked bread into crumbs as you add it to the bowl. Gently combine ingredients. Make a tester meatball to see if you need to adjust seasoning. It's 3lbs of meat so don't be too shy with the seasoning.

ETA: to keep the sauce ultra simple: olive oil, onions, red pepper flakes, garlic and basil as described above is the base recipe. I've added to it over the years

Erilyn, That's my meatball recipe! including the milk soaked bread. I like to then roll the ball in flour spiked with dried beef seasoning and fry in pan, then add tomato sauce to that pan and cook until balls are 155 in the center. Then cool completely and refrigerate. Then reheat on stove.

I need to get around to writing down my recipes one day

It is a little different simple for me Yes.

Being a chef I have changed many of the ingredients like instead of a oregano I use marjoram (french oregano) instead of white onions I use Red, instead of parm cheese I use aged Asiago, instead of tomato juice I use red wine, and I always have to use San Marzano DOP tomatoes if I am making it for my home

Erilyn, That's my meatball recipe! including the milk soaked bread. I like to then roll the ball in flour spiked with dried beef seasoning and fry in pan, then add tomato sauce to that pan and cook until balls are 155 in the center. Then cool completely and refrigerate. Then reheat on stove.

I bake mine or add them right to the sauce. I try to cut out as much flour in my diet as possible but I bet they are down right tasty. When you say dried beef seasoning are you talking about beef granules?

Oh btw, my mom lives in Olivia, a little town between Fayetteville and Sanford. Next time I visit, we should get together!

Also, for the sauce I meant to write 2 cans of diced or whole tomatoes, not crushed. Can't edit it now